Fish can be challenging. We’re told to eat it twice a week because it’s such a lean, high-protein, high-omega-3 animal, but we’re also told to avoid certain fish like swordfish and large tuna because of high mercury content, other types like Atlantic cod (or what’s left of it) because of overfishing and farmed salmon because of ecological considerations.

But it’s worth it to become friendly with different types of fish, not just the farmed salmon found in every supermarket. If you seek a fishmonger that has a reputation for sustainably caught or raised, fresh seafood, you’ll be on the right track. Broaden your repertoire; think sardines, petrale sole and Pacific cod.

Some of my favorite hot-weather dinner party menus revolve around cold fish dishes. Not sushi, but fish that I cook, allow to cool and then serve with a robust sauce or a vinegar and onion marinade. With the exception of a carpaccio, these are the recipes I focused on this week.

I steamed fillets of petrale sole, let them cool and topped them with an uncooked tomato sauce spiked with fresh tarragon and basil and perfumed with orange zest. In a more robust dish, I rubbed fillets of Pacific cod with a sweet and spicy Mediterranean spice mix, then poached them in a light vinegar-spiked broth. I made two different versions of escabeche: one from Spain, the other from Mexico, one with sardines – a terrific, low-cost, high-omega-3 fish – the other with shrimp. Although fish – like houseguests – shouldn’t stick around for more than a couple of days, I found myself enjoying my recipe test leftovers all week.

Veracruzana Vinegar-Bathed Shrimp
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Summary: The cuisine of the state of Veracruz in Mexico has much in common with Spain’s, including this spicy cousin of the Spanish escabeche. The dish calls for a mild vinegar.